


Phoenix Aligned

by sunstarunicorn



Series: It's a Magical Flashpoint [4]
Category: Flashpoint (TV), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU of Planets Aligned, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-10 15:44:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8922991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunstarunicorn/pseuds/sunstarunicorn
Summary: At a park in Toronto, Alanna Calvin vanishes.  The next day, Team One gets a hot call that will either lead to the safe rescue of two lost girls or a loss that will shatter Sergeant Parker’s new family…forever.  AU of Planets Aligned





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> spoilers for 01x09: Planets Aligned. Pretty much the entire episode. And I am using dialogue from the episode. This story is the fourth in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows “Proving Ground – Flashpoint Edition”.
> 
> Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own _Flashpoint_ , _Harry Potter_ , _Narnia_ , or _Merlin_.

Team One advanced on the two story house, weapons raised and ready.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heaven of hell, hell of heaven,” a girl in a closet chanted to herself.

Jules and Sam raced down the side path of the house.

Inside the house a man stared at the alarm panel as it beeped and lit up. _Side Path, West._

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heaven of hell, hell of heaven.”

Sam and Jules reached the back drive and a gate next to the attached garage.

The alarm panel beeped twice. _Back Drive. Side Gate, East._ The man stared, tension building. _Riiinngg._ As the phone wailed, the man turned toward it, realization crystallizing into decision.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heaven of hell, hell of heaven.”

The man stared at the ringing phone but did not answer. Outside, Sergeant Greg Parker let out his frustration in a hiss of, “Come on, pick up the phone.”

Team One forced the garage open, rolling under the half-open door.

On the phone, the man growled, “I swear to God, I will kill her and I will take you down.”

“The mind is its own place, and in itself…”

The closet door opened, the man standing there. “Penny?”

“No!” the girl shrieked in fear.

As she looked up at the man, he said grimly, “It’s time.”


	2. Phoenix Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who just skipped the prologue because it's so darn short; I say again: spoilers for 01x09: Planets Aligned. Pretty much the entire episode. And I am using dialogue from the episode. This story is the fourth in the Magical Flashpoint series. It follows "Proving Ground – Flashpoint Edition".
> 
> Although all original characters belong to me, I do not own _Flashpoint_ , _Harry Potter_ , _Narnia_ , or _Merlin_.

_17 hours earlier_

“No fair,” the redheaded girl pouted at her brown-haired brother.

The brother raked a hand through his hair, fed up. He had a project due next week, his uncle had been forced to stay late at work, and his sister was busy standing on his last nerve. “Life’s not fair, ‘Lanna,” he snapped. “Ellroy’s going to kill me if I don’t get this project done, so go find something else to do for awhile.” He pointed at the playground equipment as he spoke, making it clear _where_ he expected her to find something to do.

Alanna crossed her arms, glaring at her brother. “You never have time for me anymore!”

Lance groaned, dropping his head down to his arms. “ ‘Lanna! I’m not kidding! Go find somewhere else to play; I’m busy right now.” With that, he returned his attention to his books, digging through them for information. Professor Ellroy had not been pleased when Lance’s uncle had all but forced him to tutor Lance and Alanna in the family spells. As he couldn’t take it out on the SRU Sergeant, he’d taken to grading Lance as harshly as he could get away with. Consequently, Lance spent more time on his homework for Ellroy’s class than most of his other classes…combined. The cranky, snappy professor reminded the young wizard of the stories he’d heard about the old Hogwarts Potions professor.

The young man worked steadily for an hour, hunting down information and taking notes on it. He could rough out an essay that evening and polish it up tomorrow. And if he made two copies of the essay…well…he was sick of the harsh grading and snide insults in class. Satisfied with his progress and aware that he was losing the light as the sun went down, Lance packed his books away and looked up at the playground.

“ ‘Lanna, I’m done!” he yelled, scanning the playing children for his sister’s red hair. The young man frowned when his sister didn’t appear immediately. He slung his backpack up on his shoulders and moved closer to the playground equipment. “ ‘Lanna, come on! I’m starving!”

Annoyed, the brunet began to scan the children more carefully. If ‘Lanna was playing around because he’d snapped at her… But there was no light purple coat, no red-haired sister amongst the children.

“ ‘Lanna?” he called again, searching harder. Surely she was here somewhere…

Careful to keep his magic level low and unnoticed, he ‘flung’ his magic outward, letting it ‘scan’ for Alanna’s magic. In the dusk, his eyes glowed slightly gold with his magic, but as long as the teen kept his head down, no one noticed. Nothing…not even a trace. Panic began to filter in as the teen’s search turned wild.

“Alanna!” he yelled, startling the nearby flock of mothers. The panic in his voice and stance clued the mothers into the fact that this was no ordinary search. “Alanna Victoria Calvin! Get over here!” Lance did his best to channel their father’s voice of command and discarded subtlety as he ‘flung’ his magic out again, searching for his sister frantically.

One of the nearby mothers was forced to bring the teen to a halt. “Who’s missing?” she asked, cell phone already in hand.

Lance scrubbed at his hair, fighting down shock and terror. “My sister,” he choked out. “She’s my little sister.”

The woman waved her own child over as she dialed 911. “Hello, I have a young man here and he’s lost his sister,” she reported smoothly. She listened a moment, shaking her head. “He’s been searching for her for almost half an hour.”

Lance sucked in a breath; mind racing. Without even thinking, he held out his hand for the phone.

“Here he is now,” the woman told the dispatcher as she handed the phone over.

“Hello?” the dispatcher asked. “Can you tell me where you last saw your sister?”

Lance swallowed, checking his watch. “Hi. My name’s Lance Calvin, my uncle is Sergeant Greg Parker with the Strategic Response Unit. My sister, Alanna…she’s twelve, with violet eyes, long red hair, and a light purple coat. I last saw her at the playground I’m calling from about an hour ago.” He gulped again and babbled, “She was right here, I was just doing school work…”

“Sir, we’re going to do everything we can to find her. I’ve already contacted a nearby unit and I’ll also call your uncle to come pick you up,” the dispatcher promised. “Could you please put the woman helping you back on the phone?”

Lance held the phone out, letting the woman take her phone back. The woman listened a moment longer. “Of course I can stay until an officer gets here,” she reassured the dispatcher. “It’s no problem at all.”

Sirens wailed in the distance and Lance locked his knees so he wouldn’t fall. _Don’t die on me, ‘Lanna. Please don’t die…_


	3. Return to Sender

The tall black-haired girl woke suddenly, an echo of her younger self’s “Dad?” fading as she jerked a little on her bed. As she straightened in the bed, her long, curly hair fell past her shoulders and down her back. Pale brown eyes looked up at the beautiful mural painted on the walls of her room. Stars shimmered on a deep indigo background with red flowers below them. An orange and pink butterfly flew near the flowers. Below the butterfly was an entire field of flowers and a purple unicorn hiding in the bushes. Next to the window, more flowers were pinned along the frame and the mural extended to the opposite side of the window. There the sky was shades of blue and birds perched in a tree to greet the sun. An owl peered out from its hiding place in the tree at the skinny, pale girl in the simple dress and sandals.

As she had done every morning since coming to this place, Penny approached the shuttered window, longing to go outside and feel the sun on her skin. To see the trees and birds and flowers and perhaps even the stars. Centimeters from the window, she halted and jerked back, the dog collar around her ankle buzzing in warning. She stared at the window for a moment longer, then turned to the small wooden desk in her room. Yellow loose-leaf paper littered the desk, filled with writing and a book lay on top, tattered with age and wear. On the cover a woman stood in a garden and the words _Paradise Lost_ were written in white at the top. It was cracked open and the girl picked it up as she sat. She lifted her pen and examined the pages to find her spot.

As she wrote, she murmured the words from the book, “ ‘Long is the way, and hard, that out of hell leads up to light.’ ”

* * * * *

Lance curled up in his seat as much as possible, feeling like pond scum. His sister was gone, snatched while he sat meters away from her; oblivious and buried in a book. His plans for that stupid essay had gone up in smoke and probably his grade too, but he couldn’t care less with his sister missing. Kira Marlowe, the SRU dispatcher on duty, patted the teen’s arm, her gaze sympathetic.

Although the blond didn’t know the teens as well as Team One did, they had often brightened her day with their squabbling, banter, and open affection for their uncle. Her blue eyes flicked up as Sergeant Parker entered, his brown eyes shadowed and hurting. The petite dispatcher rose, pulling out her application and pasting on a bright smile in an effort to lift the Sergeant’s mood.

The Sarge gave her as much of a smile as he could manage and, with a shadow of their usual banter, said, “Good morning, Sunshine.”

Kira’s eyes danced briefly as she gave him the mail and teased, “You can call me Sunshine as long as you promise to…” She held out her application, forcing her smile to stay on her face as the shadows deepened in Sarge’s eyes.

He cast a mournful look at the teen huddled behind the front desk, avoiding his uncle’s eyes. Then Sarge took the application, scrawling his signature on it. “Signing it right now,” he offered quietly.

“Thank you, Sarge.”

Sarge nodded to her as he flipped through the mail, stopping almost at once. Kira looked away as fresh grief and old pain mixed on his features. The chair next to her creaked as Lance finally stood, one hand reaching across and grabbing hold of Sarge’s right hand.

“I’m sorry,” the boy managed, forcing himself to meet his uncle’s gaze. Kira wondered if the apology was for the mystery letter or Alanna…or both.

Sarge tugged his nephew as close as he could with the counter between them. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault.” He tapped the letter with his left hand. “ _This_ is not your fault either.” The stocky man met his nephew’s eyes. “We are going to find her,” he promised.

* * * * *

The black-haired girl wrote until the phone rang. She looked up, then hurried to the next room and snatched up the phone. She doubled checked the ID, then picked up.

“Gerald?” she asked.

“Hey babe.”

“Where are you?”

* * * * *

The man on the other end of the phone stood outside a golden SUV, smirking as he spoke. Brown hair was cropped close in a crew-cut and equally brown eyes glinted under the sunglasses he wore. He might have been called rugged or handsome if it were not for the leashed malice evident in his face and posture. Sharp features and clothes hid lean muscle and a dominating, arrogant attitude.

In a casual tone, he told his ‘babe’, “Nearly home. How’d you sleep?”

“I didn’t,” she admitted. “I kept hearing noises.”

His tone turned condescending as he reassured her, “But you know you’re safe, right?”

“I know.”

Gerald moved on, too excited about his new acquisition to pay much mind to Penny’s distress. “Hey, you know what?”

“What?” she asked, eager.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he almost taunted before hanging up.

He opened his car door, revealing a girl with violet eyes in boy’s clothes and a gray ball cap. Red hair peeked around the edges of the cap and the girl cast a glare at her captor. She crossed her arms at his scrutiny, determined not to show fear.

“You okay?” he inquired in a lazy tone.

Alanna stuck her nose as far in the air as she could, imitating Madame Locksley at her most imperious, as she replied, “I will require the restroom soon.” Under her breath she added, “ _Muggle_.”

Gerald cast her an annoyed look, deciding that the haughty and formal vocabulary would be the first thing to go. “Okay,” he told her, unbuckling the seat belt. “Come on. Let’s go,” he continued, ushering her toward the gas station.

* * * * *

The clerk behind the gas station counter filed her nails as she watched the news report. Dark blond hair fell to her shoulders and her face was lined with middle age. Despite her routine and boring job, the woman’s mind was sharp, with an excellent memory for details. Particularly with such a juicy news story.

“She’s been missing for twelve hours. Police say she was abducted last night from a playground in Toronto. Her brother says his back was turned only for a second, and then Alanna Calvin vanished. Alanna was wearing a light purple jacket and Nike tennis shoes. She has long red hair, and violet colored eyes. Police…”

The clerk turned off the TV as two customers entered. A tall man in a tan jacket and a young child in a white shirt and gray ball cap. “Hey, guys,” the clerk greeted.

“Hi, restroom?” the man asked.

“Yeah, out back,” the clerk informed him. “Hang on,” she added, pulling out a key. “You need a key.” She handed the key to the man with a “There you go.”

“Thank you,” the man said, ushering the child out.

* * * * *

The pep in Jules’ usual step and voice was gone as she entered the briefing room. With no word yet on Alanna, the whole of Team One was dragging. Their Auror liaison had relayed an offer from Madame Locksley to use the Lost Soul potion to locate Alanna, something Team One had pounced on, even if it would take at least six more hours before the potion would be ready. Even magical miracles, it seemed, took time.

Jules did her best to give the Sarge her usual tone. “Hey, Sarge, Wordy said you wanted to see me?”

Sarge looked up, the pain in his eyes still so raw that Jules winced. “Hey, Jules, grab a seat, will you?” He sounded as enthusiastic as an overworked paper pusher faced with a fresh onslaught.

Jules didn’t have the heart to banter and dropped into a seat.

“Psych evaluations, you know they’re mandatory, right?” Sarge said quietly, voice dull.

The petite constable ducked her head, avoiding the Sarge’s gaze. “Yeah, I do,” she admitted. Without waiting for him to prod her any further, she pulled over the sign-up sheet he had and signed up. “Sorry, Sarge,” she offered. “They just freak me out. All those questions.” She pushed the paper back to him, expecting to be dismissed.

Surprisingly, he met her eyes, his own warming as he gave her an encouraging look. “They’re just questions. No right or wrong answers.”

“That’s the problem: I like right or wrong,” Jules admitted. “You shoot. There’s a target. You hit it. Bull’s-eye. Bam. You go home.”

Sarge actually managed a small smile at her words. “That’s true. You can be perfect. Scared to make mistakes-- it’s going to get in your way.” He leaned forward, thoughtful. “We’re human. We’re going to get things wrong.”

Jules couldn’t help but wonder though…what if Alanna needed perfect to come home?


	4. Hot Call

The clerk looked up from her crossword as the man and child came back in. As before the child hung back, behind the man. “Hey, great,” the clerk said as she took the bathroom key back. She turned, peering out the window at the man’s car. “So pump number two?” She double-checked the register, saying, “That’s, uh, $47.28, please.”

As the man pulled out his wallet to pay, the clerk’s eyes fell on the child. “Hey, who’s this?” She leaned closer and asked, “What’s your name?”

The man replied first. “Jack. He’s a little shy.”

The child’s eyes snapped up at the man, glaring. For a moment, the eyes almost seemed to glow, then the child backed down and cast a pleading look at the clerk. The clerk almost stilled at those eyes… _violet_ eyes. With a would-be-casual tone, the clerk pulled out a candy tin from behind her counter. “Hey, Jack,” she began, shuffling through the tin, “uh, tell me…what’s your favorite flavor here: cherry or grape?” At the man’s look, she quickly added, “It’s okay. It’s on the house.”

The man shrugged, tugging the child forward. Violet eyes met hers, still pleading, and the clerk could see red hair under the ball cap. “Grape,” the girl told her.

The clerk pulled a grape sucker from the tin and held it out to the girl, offering a reassuring smile. The sucker fell before the girl could grab it and, as she ducked for the treat, the cap slipped, showing more of her red hair.

In a cold tone, the man with the girl asked, “How about some change?”

“Sure,” the clerk replied, keeping a perky tone. “Sorry about that.” As she handed the man his change, she spotted a gleaming weapon tucked in his belt. Hiding her sudden fear, she said, “And here we go.” The clerk waited until the door chimed behind the two, then dove for her phone and dialed.

“911?”

“Uh, yeah, um… The-the missing girl? Alanna, Alanna something? Um, she-she’s here. She’s here at my gas station. And she’s, she’s with a man and he has a gun.”

“Ma’am, are you certain it’s the child?”

“Yes, I’m absolutely sure. She’s wearing boys clothes, and she has violet eyes and red hair.”

“Okay, ma’am, I need you to stay calm, but if you can get a license plate…”

The clerk’s head shot up and she peered through her window again. “License plate…” She dropped the phone and bolted for her door. “License plate.” With bare moments to spare, she darted outside and read the plate on the SUV pulling away.

* * * * *

Kira felt a rush of adrenaline and fierce determination as she hit the alarm. “Team One, gear up, gear up,” she all but yelled. “We have a sighting of missing child Alanna Calvin, traveling in a car, license plate: Romeo One Bravo Uniform Four Hotel Eight.” Behind her, Lance’s expression transformed from grief to equal determination. Kira had to grab him and haul him back into his chair as she finished, “Registered to a Gerald Duglin, 60 Red Brick Lane, East Scarborough.”

As Sarge and Team One raced to the garage, he tossed out an order to his nephew, “Lance, stay with Kira!”

Lance stared after them; they were gone too fast for him to protest. Softly he said, “But ‘Lanna…”

Kira shifted her grip to his hand. “They’ll get her back,” she promised.

* * * * *

In the kitchen of her home, Penny washed the floor, scrubbing every bit of dirt off the tile. She worked steadily, without pause or even a quiet protest. At a beeping sound, she looked up and hurried to the panel. A brief look and she moved to hide behind the wall from the nearby door to the attached garage.

A man entered the home, setting his jacket on a nearby chair. “Penny?” he called.

Penny emerged from her hiding spot with a relieved, “You’re home.”

Smug, he replied, “I told you I was close.”

Gerald pulled Penny to himself, kissing her forehead and wrapping her in a hug. She responded by snuggling close to him and tucking her head under his chin. A noise from the door made her look up in surprise.

Violet eyes peeked at her, surprise in them and a trace of hurt, as if their owner had not expected Penny’s presence. The new arrival stared between Penny and Gerald, her jaw tightening and her gaze almost looking _through_ Penny.

Penny pulled away from Gerald, alarmed by the little girl and the unexpected threat to her life with Gerald. As she looked between Gerald and the girl, he grasped her hands and spoke gently. “I want you to meet someone.” He pulled her over to the newcomer, eyes dancing with an inner excitement. With a slight flourish, he pulled a gray ball cap off the little girl’s head, letting braided red hair fall to the girl’s shoulders. “Surprise,” he announced, “Penny, this is Alanna.”

* * * * *

Kira grimaced internally, Sarge would not be pleased, but it was protocol to call Child Services in with a minor at risk. Deciding to simply get the announcement over with, she clicked the radio. “Team One, Child Services have been notified and are standing by; uniform units are en route to secure the perimeter.”

Sarge sounded grim and less than happy as he acknowledged. “Copy that. Advise those units to use radio code only. Media will be on their scanners; they’re already going crazy with the information blackout on the girl’s family.” Kira nodded; officially, Lance was at SRU headquarters to keep him safe. The media was having a conniption fit over the sparse statement Commander Holleran had authorized, but the Toronto Police Department had no intention of letting Alanna’s abductor find out she was related to Team One’s Sergeant.

She listened as Sarge spoke with Ed. “This guy must have been driving all night, avoiding all the barricades and checkpoints.” Anger colored the Sergeant’s tone; now that he had a target…now that _Team One_ had a target, they wouldn’t stop until Alanna was safe.

* * * * *

Gerald smiled at his new toy as he opened the fridge and retrieved a nice, cold beer. He kept his tone as sweet and condescending as he could. “You did a beautiful job, Penny.” He turned to Alanna, remarking, “It’s clean, huh? You could eat off the floor.”

Instead of shrinking, the girl cast him another glare. Spirited, huh, and feisty. He was going to enjoy breaking the red-haired teen. Annoyance rose when Penny asked, “Why?”

He gave Penny a look. “Why what?”

“Why is she here?” Penny pressed. Anxiously, “Did I do something?”

Gerald contained a roll of his eyes as he moved past Penny toward his new play-thing without responding.

* * * * *

Ed Lane glanced over at his boss. Sure, the situation was stressful, but he was pretty sure something else was bugging his friend. “All right,” he demanded without preamble, “what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” the Boss replied quickly, too quickly. After a moment, he gave in. “My son-- he sent back another letter, ‘return to sender’. Big surprise,” he finished bitterly. “And this thing with Alanna…” Greg shook his head. “Lance doesn’t know I know, but his teacher’s been hassling him and grading as hard as he can.”

“What? Why?” This was news to Ed.

“The family _talents_ ,” Greg arched a brow at Ed as he spoke. “Since their father can’t teach them and I can’t either…I insisted the kids be taught at school.”

“And this guy’s making a big deal of it?” Ed was incredulous.

“Yep. I was going to go in and talk to the man’s superior next week. Probably with the essay Lance was working on last night. _Mio nipote_ planned on making two copies.”

Ed smirked. “Sounds like you’re rubbing off, Boss, with planning skills like that.” He returned to the other issue. “Your son, though, you got to see him in person. Where…? He’s in Dallas, right? You got to go there. It doesn’t matter if they slam the door in your face.”

Greg rubbed his face, looking very tired all of a sudden. “I’ve got two kids right now, Ed. They’re great, you know that, I know that, but they still miss their parents. Maybe, maybe that’s who I’ve got to focus on now…let the past lie.” He was silent a moment longer. “I think I’m done, you know?”

Ed looked forward, hearing the loss in his friend’s voice and unable to do anything about it.

* * * * *

Alanna crossed her arms as the Muggle pulled out a box and gestured for her to follow him. “Alanna…follow me.” The redhead gave him a mulish look. If she could have gotten away with it, she would have dropped him with a Stunner on her way to the phone but the black-haired Muggle, Penny, was there and watching. “Come here,” he ordered, looking annoyed at her defiance. _You kidnap me, take me away from my family, and you think I’m gonna play nice?_

Wary, the girl approached the Muggle, her eyes falling on the box. _Electric dog collar…what’s that for?_ Suspicion filled her eyes and she resisted the urge to reach for her wand.

“This is really special, okay?” the Muggle began, sounding as if he thought she was three, not twelve. “You are very important to me.” She sneered at that and he gave her another irritated look. “This is going to help keep you safe,” he finished as he attached the collar to her ankle. Alanna nearly blew it out with her magic right then as her power surged, sensing her anger and fear. Her eyes glowed, but the Muggle didn’t see it as Alanna forced her magic down again.

“There,” the Muggle said, sounded satisfied. “Now what do you say?”

Alanna glared, crossing her arms again.

“What do you say when someone gives you a present?”

The redhead put her nose in the air. “You expect me to thank you for kidnapping and imprisoning me?” Violet eyes snapped with her fury and she shook her head, refusing to give him what he wanted.

He grabbed her, hauling her close and shaking her a little. Magic sparked and he let go, surprised by the static shock. The Muggle stared at her a moment, threat clear in his eyes, then moved on. Alanna swallowed down her fear as he explained the collar to her. “Here’s how it works. You get too close to a door or window, and you’re going to feel a little buzz. That’s a warning. And what happens if we don’t pay attention to the buzz? What happens if we go outside the house?”

Penny responded before Alanna could think of a sarcastic, cutting reply. “You cross the underground wire and the bracelet electric-shocks you and you die.”

Alanna stiffened up involuntarily at that. Fear showed in her eyes as she looked at the black-haired girl. _I want to go home._

“But you know what?” the Muggle asked, his voice thick with insinuation. “It’s better to die than to get caught by the police, ‘cause you know what happens if you get caught by the police?”

The redhead gave her captor an arched brow. _I bet my wand, he tells me cops are bad._

“They’ll hurt you so bad you’ll wish you were dead.” _I win._


	5. Truth and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to bring it up in my last update, so I'm doing it now. A big thank you to missblueeyes63 over on Fanfiction.net for graciously agreeing to beta this story and my future stories. And, since this will be my last update in Anno Domini 2016, Happy New Year everyone!

In the subject neighborhood, Team One stopped around the corner from the subject’s house. Spike looked through a pair of binoculars at the house as Ed and Wordy looked on from behind one of their black trucks. Wordy checked over his gear while Ed patted Spike on the shoulder and headed toward the command truck. Sam and Jules pulled out entry equipment as the Team Leader entered the truck. Inside Lou was at the computer, speaking into the microphone hooked to the auto-transcriber.

“11:32 AM. Armed abduction of a child. Subject Gerald Duglin presumed to be in the residence at 60 Red Brick Lane with the abducted child, Alanna Calvin.” Despite the tension of the situation, Lou’s voice was level and professional; betraying none of the collective fear Team One had for the Sergeant’s young niece.

* * * * *

Gerald smiled at the fear in his toy’s eyes. It had taken long enough for her to show fear and he was rather gleeful as he started the process to crush her spirit. Adopting his ‘explaining-things-to-the-idiot-child’ tone, he told his toy, “This is where we have to stay until it’s safe to go out again. We have no choice. It’s what your parents wanted. It’s why they asked me to bring you here.” He eyed her, swallowing down another gulp of his beer.

“They didn’t,” the girl snapped, eyes flashing.

He smirked at her. “Yes, they did. Your dad and I had a long talk before we left last night.”

The nose went up again. “So what did you do?” she snarked. “Fly to England and talk to their ghosts?”

Gerald froze, caught off guard. Penny gasped in the background. Violet-eyes gave him a picture-perfect sneer, well aware she’d caught him in his lie. _Her parents are dead?_ Well, that did explain why he hadn’t spotted a hovering mother or father at the playground. With a low growl, he grabbed onto the girl, hauling her close again. “First rule of the house: no talk-back.”

“They’ll find me…my family will find me,” the girl snapped, struggling to get free.

“I suppose your ghost parents will help?” Gerald taunted, voice low and he shook her a moment. He forced his anger at her defiance down and gave her a smile. “You’re probably hungry, huh? That’s good. You know why? ‘Cause Penny’s gonna make us lunch.” He looked up at his other play-thing and said, “Penny.”

Penny nodded and obediently turned to the refrigerator.

* * * * *

Ed leaned over the Boss and Lou’s shoulders, speaking to his boss, “Teenager next door confirmed Gerald’s car pulled in ten minutes ago. He didn’t notice a child. As far as they know, he has no family, no children, and he is, quote: quiet and keeps to himself.”

With a sarcastic tilt to his head and tone, Greg rejoined, “Yeah, I’ll bet.”

Ed continued, “You see his windows?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Every single one frosted, shuttered.” Ed paused at the low growl from his boss. “Apparently, he’s a contractor. Built this whole development.”

“Mug-shot,” Lou called, drawing the attention of the other two men.

As they leaned in, the Boss growled again. “Two priors for sexual assault.”

Lou took over before Greg could lose his temper with the auto-transcriber on. “Spent a couple months in jail ten years ago,” he reported. “No weapons registered.”

“Except he’s got one,” Ed observed.

Grim, the Boss nodded.

* * * * *

Alanna was not happy. The Muggle had swung her up on the counter without so much as a by-your-leave. She recited her reasons for not kicking the Muggle, pulling her wand, and bolting for the door to herself again. Behind them both, Penny worked to make lunch…lunch that Alanna was most certainly _not_ interested in. The Muggle was droning on again. “We have to have rules here. Rules keep us safe. It’s all really, really simple.” Alanna gave the Muggle an arch look and refrained from kicking the very available target in front of her. With a burst of fake enthusiasm the Muggle said, “Hey. Why don’t I show you the rest of the house.” He pulled Alanna off the counter with a “Come on.”

Alanna dragged her heels, casting lethal glares at the Muggle’s back as he led her toward the stairs. “I’ll take you upstairs,” he told her.

“Gerald…” the black-haired Penny called, turning from her task.

With a mock patient tone, the Muggle turned. “Yes, Penny?”

Alanna felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as she watched the pair. There was a sense of _wrongness_ about them, as if the female Muggle was just as trapped as she was. “Um, let me show her around.”

The faux kindness in her captor’s tone fell away. “You’re making lunch.”

“I can make it later,” Penny babbled.

“What?” The threat in Gerald’s voice made Alanna shiver and she looked toward the door.

“She’s tired. She-she only just got here,” Penny pleaded, clearly afraid of something.

The Muggle advanced on the cowering girl, growling, “I hear your voice one more time…”

“Please just let me take care of her,” Penny begged.

Alanna broke and bolted for the door, but forgot about the ankle collar. Behind her Penny yelled, “Alanna, no!” As she reached the door, it buzzed and zapped her. She yelped, surprised when her magic failed to flare. She whirled, her eyes wide and frightened. Never before had anything in the tech world actually hurt her.

The angry Muggle’s voice rang out. “Hey! Alanna! Alanna, come here.”

The redheaded witch swallowed, but her magic flicked outward at last. Alanna’s head turned unerringly in the direction of Team One. Her magic flickered around Team One’s members, so faint as to go unnoticed and returned to its mistress, whispering that her family had found her. The teenager returned her attention to her Muggle captor and tilted her head up, setting her chin. She didn’t move, though her eyes glittered with her power.

Penny, facing toward Gerald, didn’t see Alanna’s defiance and babbled out, “She’s just scared, Gerald.”

Gerald’s expression darkened and he ordered, “Penny, get in the closet.”

Alanna reared back in surprise when Penny cowered. “No…Gerald, no.”

“In the closet.”

“Please, please,” Penny wailed, fear etched in her voice. Alanna shivered. “She didn’t mean it. Gerald, no!”

Gerald stalked forward, grabbing Penny and hauling her back toward the kitchen. “Enough,” he grated out. “I’ve had enough.”

“No,” Penny cried.

Alanna bit back a whimper as her captor hauled the other girl toward the closet. “That’s enough, okay?” he said, “That’s it. I’ve had enough of you. Okay?” His voice was a mix of anger and a touch of ‘this is your fault’. He threw Penny in the closet, closing and locking the door behind her.

The witch looked at the closet door, wide-eyed. Her magic let her hear Penny’s words from inside the makeshift prison. “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make heaven of hell, hell of heaven.”

_Hurry, Uncle Greg,_ Alanna thought. _I don’t_ like _this place._

* * * * *

Outside the house, Team One started moving into position. Ed and Wordy advanced on the front of the house while Jules, Sam, and Spike raced down the sidewalk, turning onto the gravel path running alongside the subject house.

* * * * *

Gerald smirked at his toy, satisfied that she was beginning to understand what defiance led to. “You know what I’m gonna do?” he started, acting as if he hadn’t just shoved Penny in a closet, “I’m gonna show you the rest of the house first.” He faked a look and tone of enthusiasm. “We can explore. You want to see upstairs?” Without waiting for a reply he waved at the girl, saying, “Come on.”

Before they reached the stairs, the alarm beeped. Gerald detoured to it at once. _Side Path, West._

* * * * *

Jules and Sam reached the end of the gravel path, turning left onto the house’s back drive.

* * * * *

The alarm panel beeped again. _Back Drive._ Gerald sucked in a breath, suspicion forming.

* * * * *

Sam moved over to the far gate, checking for anyone in the back yard.

* * * * *

A third beep. _Side Gate, East._ The man stared, tension building. _Riiinngg._ As the phone wailed, Gerald turned toward it, realization crystallizing into decision. He stalked toward the phone, missing the satisfied look on Alanna’s face. Grim, he stared at the phone as it rang.

* * * * *

In the command truck, Greg Parker let his temper out a little as he hissed, “Come on. Pick up the phone.”

* * * * *

As the phone continued to ring, Gerald stared down at the phone, then snatched up the receiver.

* * * * *

Greg sat up straight as the phone picked up, but no one spoke. “Hello?”

Silence.

“Hello, Mr. Duglin?” Greg waited a second longer, but the subject was still silent. “This is Sergeant Gregory Parker, with the Police Strategic Response Unit. Am I speaking with Gerald Duglin?” Greg ground his teeth as the subject remained silent. Grimly, he played his trump card. “Mr. Duglin, a little girl has been abducted, and we have reason to believe that she’s inside your house. Now if you and the other occupants can please exit, we can start talking about how you can safely return Alanna to her guardian.”

* * * * *

Gerald finally spoke, growling, “If you’re interested in her safety, then you stay out of my house. You step one foot in this house, and I swear to God, I will kill her and I will take you down.”

He ignored his toy’s frightened gasp as he slammed the phone down and stalked to his revolver on the counter. The phone began to ring again and Gerald ignored it. He scooped his gun up, tucked it into his belt, and knelt down to yank a drawer open. Gerald reached into the drawer and pulled out a shotgun and ammo. He rose, turning toward the closet and striding to the door. A quick flick unlocked the door and he yanked it open.

Penny gasped, shrieking a “No!” as the door opened.

“It’s time,” Gerald announced. “They’re here,” he continued. As he held out the shotgun, he finished, “You know what to do.”

Penny rose, taking the shotgun. “I know what to do.”

* * * * *

Greg resisted the urge to hurl the phone across the command truck. “Come on,” he grated under his breath, “Pick up the phone.”

* * * * *

Penny hurried out of the closet, shotgun in hand. She reached out, grabbed hold of Alanna’s left hand, and hauled her along as she raced up the stairs.

Behind her, Gerald called, “Like we practiced, like I showed you.”

“What’s happening?” Alanna cried, digging in her heels and forcing Penny to yank the redhead forward.

“Shh!” Penny hushed the little girl. “They’ve come, okay?”

Alanna yanked, trying to break away. “Let me go,” came the shrill demand.

“Don’t worry,” Penny promised, not loosening her grip and all but dragging the redhead along. “I’ll protect you. Come on.”

Gerald raced ahead, opening Penny’s door and ushering both girls into the room. “Quick, Penny,” he ordered. He held out the shotgun’s ammo box. “Okay, take that. Take that.”

As Penny took the box, she said, “Well, you’re staying with us though…”

She was cut off as Gerald shushed her. “We’re going to need more ammo, okay? We’ve got more in the basement.”

Penny shook her head. “We don’t have any time. We don’t have time,” she protested.

Gerald grabbed her hands. “I’ll be right back-- two minutes. I’ll be right back, I promise.” He was forced to lurch to the side and grab Alanna as the little girl tried to flee again. He shoved the redhead back into the room. That done, he shifted sideways, blocking the door as he tugged Penny close, kissing her.

“Without you no life. Okay?” he whispered, before pulling her into an embrace, one hand stroking her hair as he kissed her again.

“Let me come,” Penny begged. “Let me come with you.”

“No!” he denied her sharply, pushing her back into the room.

“Gerald!” she cried, launching forward. He pushed her again and raced away. “Gerald!” she shrieked. “Please don’t leave me!”


	6. Tactical Entry

Lou had to open his hand before he inadvertently crushed the microphone as he updated the auto-transcriber. “11:43 AM. First telephone contact terminated by subject. Threats uttered to hostage and police units.” He looked over at the Sarge. They couldn’t lose Alanna. It would shatter all of them, but worst of all, it would shatter one of the strongest men Lou knew.

Sarge’s expression as he set down the telephone was blank; the man was using his training to mask his inner horror and fear. “All right. He’s not reestablishing.” Grim, Sarge hit his comm and called, “Hey Ed…”

“Holding in position,” Ed reported.

“I can’t reestablish. If you go in…” Sarge trailed off, looking as if his throat had closed up.

“Dangerous for the girl.” Lou wondered how Ed could be so matter-of-fact as the Team Leader continued, “but if we don’t go in…”

Sarge swallowed and finished, “Dangerous for the girl.”

“Copy that,” Ed acknowledged softly. Lou looked up at the Sarge, praying they’d get the little girl back alive. For all their sakes.

* * * * *

Ed jogged through the gravel alley, anger rising and an anxious Wordy on his tail. _We’re getting her back, and we’re doing it_ now _._ As he passed Team One’s tech he ordered, “Spike, head to white, keep your eyes on the front.”

“Copy that,” Spike called as he raced off.

As Ed and Wordy reached the back, Ed ducked into the neighbor’s vehicle and turned the stereo up. With hip-hop music playing in the background, Sam shoved down on the gorilla bar and forced the garage door open. As it rose two meters off the ground, Team One rolled underneath the door.

“We’re in the garage,” Ed reported on the comm.

* * * * *

Penny whirled to the redheaded girl. “Help me,” she ordered. “Help me tip the table.”

Violet eyes locked on her and Alanna bit her lip. She looked down at the shotgun, then nodded and helped Penny tip the table. “Don’t hurt them,” she begged, to Penny’s shock.

“What?” Penny asked faintly, certain she had misheard even as she dragged her bed into position.

“They’re my family,” Alanna told her. “Don’t hurt them.”

Penny tipped her shelves to complete the barrier, mind whirling. How could _they_ be Alanna’s family?

As a shot rang out, Penny hurried to her door and regretfully closed it. _Where is he? Where’s Gerald?_

* * * * *

Sam fired at the door between the garage and the house, shattering the lock. “Garage door breached,” he reported, with a touch of viciousness in his business-like tone.

Wordy stepped to the front, sweeping the door with his extendable mirror even as every instinct demanded he charge the house to get his…no, _their_ …adopted niece back. If Lance and Alanna had started out as ‘just’ Sarge’s _nipotes_ , they had become _Team One’s nipotes_. Quite frankly, Wordy was more than a little tempted to make sure Alanna’s captor never made it out of this house alive. He’d never do it, of course, unless he had to, but it was very tempting. “Entry clear,” he called, voice low.

The Team entered the kitchen, Wordy in the lead, searching for any signs of Alanna or the subject. As Wordy checked what turned out to be a closet, Ed took up position at the entrance to the living room and waved Sam and Jules on ahead.

“Kitchen’s clear,” Ed hissed. “Boss, table’s set for three.”

“Clear.”

Sam’s voice drifted in from the living room, almost overlapping with Jules’ “Living room’s clear.”

As Wordy poked around the kitchen, Ed rounded the corner and growled, “He saw us coming.”

Wordy’s announcement on the heels of Ed’s growl was far more troubling. In an angry tone, Wordy reported, “Sarge, I’m looking at a box for an electric dog collar.” Team One stilled for a moment, trading furious, horrified looks. There was no dog in the house, meaning that the collar _wasn’t_ for a dog, it was for _Alanna_.

Sarge’s voice trembled with suppressed rage. “He might have a containment around the house.” The rage cracked through as he ordered, “Cut the circuit.”

“First floor clear,” Jules called. Ed signaled Sam and Jules to head upstairs.

Wordy followed the Team Leader, angling to follow him up the stairs when Ed paused at a sound from below them. Both men looked down, toward the basement of the house. “We got something downstairs,” Ed hissed. With that both men headed down the stairs, intent on finding their prey.

* * * * *

Sam maneuvered the snake cam to the gap in the two white doors of the room he and Jules had heard noise from. He blinked as something brushed against his skin and a sense of someone asking _What took you so long?_ danced at the edge of hearing. It ‘sounded’ like Alanna, only older and with a touch of…he didn’t even know what to call it. The Squib-born focused on the camera’s monitor as he twisted the cam to see better.

“We got eyes,” Jules whispered over the comm as she stood behind Sam.

The camera twisted once more and then he saw them. Over the comm, the Boss sounded utterly relieved. “Okay, we’ve got Alanna Calvin with another young woman, approximately 16 years of age in…” The Boss’s voice trailed off as he paused, probably checking the house blueprints they’d pulled. “…looks like the master bedroom. No sign of Duglin.” His voice dropped down on Duglin’s name, leashed rage leaking through. Forced calm marked the last few sentences. To Lou, Boss ordered, “Let’s transmit that to Kira, see if she can ID that other girl. Possible accomplice.” Another order snapped in Sam’s direction, “Hey, Sam, can you get another angle of the bedroom? See if Duglin’s in there?”

“Copy that,” came the reply as Sam adjusted the cam, searching every corner of the room. Sam’s gaze focused on the screen and he finally announced, “He’s not in there, boss.”

* * * * *

Wordy’s eyes narrowed as he checked the basement with his mirror. Behind him, Ed queried, “Boss, Alanna’s upstairs, correct?”

Guarded relief was in Sarge’s voice as he replied, “That’s affirmative. Where are you?”

“Basement steps.”

When Wordy nodded, the Team Leader took the lead, charging into the basement. His orders and Wordy’s clashed and overlapped as they yelled.

“Police Strategic Response Unit!”

“Police! Get down!” Wordy roared.

“Weapons on the ground! Hands in the air! Weapons on the ground!”

“Police! Let me see your hands!”

* * * * *

Sam’s eyebrows arched as Jules sneaked her boot out and used her foot to gently tug a piece of paper out from the room’s doorway. It was yellow and covered in writing. Aloud, Jules reported, “Looks like somebody’s been transcribing a book. By hand.” Jules paused to look down again and spotted a book. “ _Paradise Lost_.”

Impressed, Sam filled in the blanks. “Milton. Adam and Eve in paradise.” With a there and gone shrug he added. “Good stuff. Fire and brimstone, my dad’s kind of book.” From Jules’ look of distaste, he knew the underlying message had been received and understood.

* * * * *

Alanna studied her companion, biting her lip in thought. The sense she had gotten before of Penny was someone who was trapped, hurting, and lonely. And Penny hadn’t helped with her kidnapping; she hadn’t even known about it until Alanna was in the house. Decision made, Alanna asked, “How long have you lived here?”

“A long time,” Penny replied.

Plaintive, Alanna pressed, “Don’t you ever want to go home?”

Penny looked up, spotting what even Alanna hadn’t spotted until right then. The snake cam, peeking through the gap in the doors. “Get down,” the older girl ordered, hefting her shotgun.

Alanna hurled her words as she would her magic, “Look out!”

* * * * *

Alanna’s warning overlapped with the Boss’s “Guys, she’s armed.”

Before either Sam or Jules could react, a shotgun blast echoed through the house. Sam pulled the snake cam back, inspecting the damage. “Yes, she is,” he agreed. Dropping the broken camera he added, “Camera’s down.”

A trace of panic marked the Boss’s next order, “Stand by for immediate action.” Sam brought his sidearm a little higher as the Boss continued, speaking to Lou. “Let’s get up closer to the house.”

Lou briefly switched channels, so Sam didn’t hear his orders to the uniforms, but the Boss soon came back on. “Eddie, check in. Where are you?”

* * * * *

Ed and Wordy surveyed the basement, frustration all but coloring the air around them. With an ill-concealed snarl, Ed snapped, “Boss, I don’t know how he did it, but he’s completely disappeared. We lost him.”

Grim and practical, Greg replied, “Go careful. Duglin’s not upstairs. We’re on the move.”

Ed didn’t bother to copy, instead he turned his attention to the far more immediate issue, catching their prey. “You heard that, right?” He looked around, scanning the basement. “It’s like a…like a scraping sound or…”

“Ed,” Wordy called. As Ed turned, he saw Wordy standing near an old cabinet. “Look at these marks on the floor.”

“Go. Go. Go,” Ed ordered, bringing his corner-shot up and aiming at the cabinet.

Wordy pulled the cabinet back in one smooth motion, reporting, “Sarge, we found a tunnel.”

“We’re going in,” Ed followed up.

“Okay,” Boss replied. “You go for it, but keep me posted.”

The pair pulled on their night vision helmets and entered the dark tunnel, on Duglin’s trail again.

* * * * *

Kira’s fingers danced over her keyboard. Over her shoulder, Lance was staring at what she’d found with barely-concealed outrage and a few muttered words that Kira was pleased she couldn’t hear. “Sarge, I think I got a match on your girl. Sending it through now.”

Sarge’s focus was predictable, but wrong. “Rap sheet? Any priors?”

Kira shook her head as she brought Sarge up to date. “No, sir, found her in Missing Persons. Matches an aged picture of Penny Westler.”

“Who?”

Grim, Kira filled in the blanks. “Missing child taken from her own backyard eight years ago: stranger abduction. No arrest made.”

Silence draped the comm as Team One absorbed the information. Kira looked over at Lance to see he was pale as a ghost; obviously imagining losing his sister for years and years. Finally, Sarge managed to say, “Oh, my Gawd. She must be seventeen by now.”


	7. Phoenix Hostage

Jules sucked in her breath as Sarge came over the comm again. With the information on Penny, he’d regained enough poise to sound almost professional again. “Okay, team, subject is on foot. Constables Lane and Wordsworth are in pursuit.” He paused for a moment, then went on, “We’ve got the neighborhood contained. We need to get this under control now. We’re in front of the house now. Change of plans: we’re gonna talk this girl down. Jules, I want you to do it.”

Jules swallowed hard. _Me?_ “Oh, Sarge, if you’re right, this girl’s been in here, like, eight years.” The petite constable hesitated. “We’re dealing with some serious Stockholm syndrome. She probably doesn’t even know who she is anymore.”

She could almost see Sarge nodding as he responded. “I know, and my bet, he’s conditioned her to fear the police, and that’s why she’s firing.” His voice turned comforting. “Now, you’re gonna be fine. This girl has spent eight years in captivity at the hands of a man. What she needs now is a female voice.”

Jules quailed, she wasn’t good enough at negotiating for this, especially with Alanna’s life on the line. “We’re starting at ground zero. I mean, I… I don’t know if I know how to do this,” she whispered.

Sarge’s voice was matter of fact. “All right, I’m coming in.”

“Okay, wait,” Jules called without thinking. She sucked in a breath, praying she’d be good enough. “Can you help me with the Stockholm?”

Sarge’s smile came through in his voice. “Yeah,” he told her. “Now, the first thing to remember: there will be nothing simple about her feelings for her captor. Just follow the same rules as always: connect, respect…”

“…Protect,” Jules finished. “Okay.”

“Okay, you just keep it simple,” Sarge coached. “By now, Penny’s got a belief system that has helped her survive whatever it is she survived, and it’s not your job to tear that down. It’s your job to get these two girls out of there safely.” Jules stiffened, trying not to freeze again. “Okay? And I’m gonna stay right here and be your second inside your ear the whole time, all right?”

_No…_ “Copy.”

Sarge moved on, his next orders aimed at other team members. “Spike, you go with Sam; you cover Jules. Lou, we need to track down Penny’s parents. Get them here fast, but I need to talk to them first.”

“Copy,” Lou acknowledged.

“Eddie, what’s your 20?” Sarge demanded.

* * * * *

Ed stifled a frustrated noise as he and Wordy made their way through the small tunnel. “We’re in a tunnel heading west,” he reported.

Greg’s determination was etched in his words. “Okay, stay on it.”

Ed’s next comment was to their dispatcher. “Kira, you want to map this out for us, tell us where the heck we are?”

In the background, he heard Kira’s hands flying on her keyboard. As he and Wordy reached the next corner, Ed poked his corner-shot around and checked the weapon’s camera. “He’s up ahead. Go, go, go.” The pair picked up their pace, racing after the subject.

* * * * *

Alanna eyed the buckshot ridden doors. Her magic curled outward again, telling her who was outside Penny’s room. Neither of them were hurt and she almost sagged in relief. Her gaze flicked to Penny, who was trembling with fear and adrenaline. “Don’t hurt them,” she pleaded again.

Before Penny could respond, Aunt Jules called to them through the door. “Hey girls, my name is Jules.”

Alanna winced as the abrupt start; Aunt Jules was obviously on edge. She watched as Penny tensed up again, shotgun rising a little.

“Your names are Penny and Alanna. Is that right?” Alanna peeked around the bed, hopeful that this was almost over. “Well, I’m a police officer, and I’m here to help you both. You know, I’d really like to open these doors so that we can speak easier. Is that okay?”

Penny straightened, ready to fire again. Alanna kept her voice soft as she said, “She’s nice, I promise she’s nice.”

The other girl shook her head a little; she still believed the rot that Muggle had given her about cops. Alanna saw Uncle Spike and Sam a little as they opened the doors; she wanted to run to them but forced herself to hold still.

Aunt Jules kept going from outside the room. “All right, I’m opening the door, but I promise you, I’m gonna stay back here, all right?” Three SRU constables edged into the doorway. Aunt Jules kept her voice gentle. “Penny, is that right? The little girl that you have with you, her name is Alanna Calvin. And I’m really hoping that we can return her safely to her guardian. Can we work that out? Can you help us out with that?”

“Stay away from us!” Penny shrieked. Alanna’s magic surged in warning and she followed Penny’s lunge up. With both hands, she shoved the shotgun’s barrel up at the ceiling. The gun went off and Alanna cried out as the heat seared her hands.

* * * * *

“Alanna!” Spike called as the girl reeled away from the shotgun. The three officers had been pulling back behind the doors to the room the two girls were in, seeking cover, even before the shotgun went off. Spike swallowed hard…had Alanna been hurt by the heat or recoil from the shotgun?

Sarge’s voice rang out at once, “Team status-- everybody!”

“No harm,” Spike replied, overlapping with Jules’ and Sam’s response.

“Sarge?” Jules queried, her tone frustrated and overwhelmed.

“De-escalate, Jules, de-escalate. Whatever Penny’s world was an hour ago, it’s a whole lot more confusing now, so just… just keep doing what you’re doing. Just stay covered.” Sarge hesitated. “Spike, how’s Alanna?”

Spike winced. “Sarge, she grabbed the shotgun and shoved it up. Her hands might be burned.” Grim silence was the only response.

* * * * *

“Are you okay?” Penny asked, kneeling by the fallen girl. The redhead’s hands were blistered and burned; Alanna gasped and panted from her spot on the floor. “Why did you do that?” the older girl demanded.

“They’re my _family_ ,” the younger girl rasped. “I won’t let you hurt them.”

_Family?_ Penny wondered, looking up at the door. She couldn’t see the cops’ faces, but she’d heard the one cop yell Alanna’s name as they ducked back behind the walls. _How can_ cops _be someone’s family?_ Before she could press Alanna for more information, the female cop edged into the doorway again, shielded by her male colleagues. Penny jerked back to attention, aiming her shotgun at the cops.

“Penny? I know that you are very scared right now. I mean, you got a gun with you. And guns are always scary. But I, I really believe that you don’t want to hurt anyone. I really believe that, Penny.” Penny tightened her grip on the shotgun as the cop continued, “So what do you think? What do you think? Can we get rid of the gun? So that we can talk without being scared?” The cop paused, waiting. When Penny kept quiet, she tried again, “Penny, if you and Alanna don’t say anything, how am I gonna know that you’re okay?”

Alanna whimpered, but Penny’s panic prompted her yell of, “Leave us alone!” Her voice rose to a shriek. “Gerald! Gerald! What did you do to him!”

The redhead pushed herself up, still whimpering, and abruptly bolted for the door. Penny dropped the shotgun and grabbed Alanna around the waist. “No!” Penny shrilled, dragging the younger girl back.

“Let me go!” Alanna cried. She twisted toward the cops. “Uncle Spike!”

Penny saw the twisting fear and desperation on the black-haired cop’s face at Alanna’s plea, but tightened her grip and kept pulling the redhead back. There was a sudden flare of light, violet light that started to lash out at Penny. Penny gasped, cringing, but the light halted and pulled back, swirling around Alanna. To Penny’s dazzled eyes, it looked for a moment as if the light formed the image of a phoenix around her young charge. The violet phoenix swept its wings around Alanna’s torso and its head lowered to the young girl’s burned hands. Indigo tears fell on the burns and shimmered, leaving unmarked skin behind. The phoenix vanished as Penny hauled Alanna back behind the barricade, shocked.

“What was that?” Penny demanded.

Alanna looked up and Penny gaped; Alanna’s eyes were glowing. The younger girl shook her head as the glow faded. “I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Penny hissed.

The redhead looked over at the hovering cops; Penny followed her gaze and her own eyes went wider. The cops only looked a little surprised; worry was the dominant emotion on their faces. “Not supposed to lie,” Alanna murmured. “Never lie to a subject. But I can’t tell you and you can’t tell anyone about what I did.” Alanna met Penny’s eyes. “Promise you won’t tell, not even that Mu…man can know.”

Penny swallowed hard. Not tell Gerald about burns that vanished or violet light that made Alanna’s eyes glow? Before she could reply, the female cop called, “Penny, is Alanna okay? We heard her yell when the shotgun went off before.”

The black-haired girl grabbed her shotgun and straightened up, looking at the cops again. Concern was writ across all three faces, but Penny didn’t trust it. Everything cops said was a lie. So she didn’t respond, only watched the cops; waiting for Gerald.

The female cop kept trying. “Penny, I know that you want Alanna and Gerald to be safe. So you know what… you know what I’m gonna do? I’m gonna find out for you. I’m gonna see where he is and how he’s doing. ‘Cause I think the guys I work with, they might know. Do you want me to ask?”

Penny looked down at her young charge; violet eyes looked back at her, pleading. Surely Gerald would come back and explain to Alanna why she couldn’t trust cops or call them family. “Yeah,” she allowed, but no more than that.

As the cops backed off, Alanna touched her arm. “You can trust them, you know.” Penny opened her mouth to protest and her charge cut her off. “I know you think I’m stupid to trust them and like them, but I _know_ them and I know all they want to do is help both of us.”


	8. Without You No Life

Ed swept his flashlight back and forth as he and Wordy jogged through the tunnel. It had opened up enough for the two constables to stand and make better time, but that meant Duglin could make better time too. “Kira,” Ed called to their dispatcher, “we’re in a tunnel with railroad tracks. Where are we?”

“Brickworks-- whole subdivision used to be a brick factory. Red Brick Lane, Kiln Avenue…”

Ed cut off the history lesson with, “What’s up ahead?”

“Which way you going?” Kira asked.

“Still heading west,” Wordy reported.

“Westbound, tunnel ends in a warehouse,” Kira told them. “You’re gonna have to go up a level.”

Ed increased his pace, growling, “Where is he? Where is he?”

The answer to his question moved away from the wall near the exit and aimed at the two officers. A gunshot rang out and dirt fell from the ceiling as Wordy and Ed ducked down to avoid the shot. Duglin raced away, scrambling up a ladder. Two furious SRU constables gave chase, no one, but no one got away with hurting their family.

* * * * *

Greg Parker forced his rather tattered negotiator mask in place as he stood outside the command truck looking up at the house where his niece was. Usually, trusting his team was not an issue, but it was very hard to hear what was going on and not be able to comfort or protect his shy niece. He’d barely been able to keep it together at Spike’s hesitant report that Alanna had likely burned her hands trying to protect his team from Penny’s shotgun. The Sergeant forced himself to turn toward the unmarked unit pulling up behind the command truck. He strode to meet the couple who all but tumbled out of the car, frantic to get to their daughter.

Greg held out his hand, shaking their hands as he said, “Mrs. Westler, Mr. Westler, I’m Greg Parker, we spoke on the phone.”

Mr. Westler immediately demanded, “Where is she?”

Greg made a partial turn and gestured to the two story house behind the command truck. “She’s in the house,” he informed both parents, “but we need to be incredibly patient here.”

Mrs. Westler protested at once. “We haven’t seen our daughter in eight years. You can’t imagine…”

The negotiator forced himself to smile at the woman. _I most certainly can imagine._ After all, he hadn’t seen his own son in years either. “I understand,” he soothed. “But Penny’s exit from that house has to be on her terms, at her pace. If she’s rushed in any way, she may freeze up, she may escalate. The only way we can get your daughter out of there safely is if we help her choose to come out.” Greg looked back at the house. Patience was very hard to come by right at the moment. For both sets of guardians.

* * * * *

Penny studied her young charge; it worried her that Alanna was so willing to trust cops. “You can’t trust them,” she hissed. “You can’t go out there.”

“What? Why?”

“They’ll capture us.” Penny shook her head. “And what happens after that is…”

One brow arched; Alanna’s expression was skeptical.

“Have you heard of Anne Frank?”

Alanna tilted her head, considering. “World War Two.”

_What?_ Penny blinked but forged on. “She was a little girl who lived with her family in an attic for years waiting for it to be safe to go outside, because bad people were in charge, and they sent police in to drag people away to barbwire prisons. It was just like hell, but on Earth.”

The younger girl didn’t cower; instead her expression turned angry. “That was World War Two, Penny, in 1940s Nazi Germany. This is 21st century Toronto, cops don’t _do_ that here.” Alanna grabbed Penny’s hands. “Did he tell you that? Did that _jerk_ who can’t even make his own lunch tell you that?”

Penny nearly hit the younger girl. “He protects us! Keeps us safe!” She glared at Alanna. “We have to be brave and wait for Gerald to come back for us.”

“Unbelievable,” Alanna hissed under her breath, though Penny still heard her.

“Penny, I found out about Gerald,” the female cop called. “Do you want to hear?”

Penny pushed herself back up, aiming at the cops as they edged back into the doorway and the female cop spoke. “Yeah,” she replied.

“Okay, well, this might sound kind of funny, but we-we don’t know where he is.”

Alanna grimaced as Penny shot back, “No. No, you’ve captured him. You had the house surrounded; we saw it on the alarm screens; you surrounded us.”

“I know, I know that this seems impossible, but he left.”

“Muggle coward,” Alanna hissed. She believed them? After what Penny had told her about poor Anne Frank, Alanna still believed in them?

Penny shook with the force of her denial. “No, he wouldn’t leave,” she spat at the cops.

“Penny, I promise you. There’s a tunnel that leads out of the basement.”

Penny surged up with an outraged, “You’re making fun of me?”

The cops jerked back, the female spreading her hands. “No, I am not. Penny, I would not make fun of you. I know that you’re waiting for Gerald to come back. I can tell that you care a lot about him.”

Penny couldn’t help but nod in agreement. “ ‘So dear I love him that with him all deaths I could endure, without him no life.’ ”

The blond male cop murmured, “It’s from the book,” as Penny pulled back, sobbing.

“He’s gone,” she whispered, “He’s gone. He’s gone.”

The younger girl abruptly pulled Penny into a hug. Penny was confused; why was Alanna being nice now? She’d made no secret of the fact that she hated Gerald.

“You don’t need him,” Alanna told her. “They’re nice, they won’t hurt you.” She shifted Penny so the older girl was facing the cops again. “Aunt Jules is the one that’s been talking to you; she cares about people. She’s really good at understanding and empathizing; Uncle Greg told me so.” Alanna pointed at the blond. “That’s Sam, he’s still the rookie of the team. His dad doesn’t like that he wanted to be a cop instead of a soldier but Sam’s fitting in now.” Another gesture toward the raven haired cop. “Uncle Spike’s smart; he works with computers and makes sure that bombs can’t hurt people.” A shy smile. “He nicknamed me ‘Lanna; my brother uses it all the time now.” The little girl gave Penny an encouraging look. “See? They’re just like you and me…they’re people too.” Alanna ducked her head. “I want to go home, Penny.”

“No, no, no, no,” Penny protested.

“I want to see my brother.”

“No, your family sent you here to be safe,” Penny insisted.

Alanna gave her an utterly incredulous look. “Haven’t you been listening?” she cried. She pointed again at the cops. “ _They’re my family_ , Penny. They _didn’t_ send me here and that Muggle you want back _took_ me from them.” Penny shook her head in denial. “I’m going home,” Alanna announced, standing up.

“No, Alanna, what are you doing?” Penny cried, grasping at the younger girl.

“I want to go home Aunt Jules.” Sheer relief painted the faces of all three cops.

* * * * *

Ed and Wordy mounted the top of the ladder, chasing after their prey, closing in. Duglin turned as he ran and let loose a shot at the two constables. It missed, striking the wall of the tunnel behind the pair. Ed returned fire; Duglin staggered but kept running.

* * * * *

“You can’t walk out there,” Penny babbled, grabbing hold of Alanna. “They’re going to send you to prison.”

“They won’t.” Alanna’s trust in the cops burned bright in her eyes.

Penny shook her head frantically, trying to get through to the younger girl. “Alanna, you can’t walk out there.”

Alanna met Penny’s eyes, then she jerked free. “I’m going home.”

The redhead darted around Penny and out from behind the barricade. Penny followed, raising the shotgun and shrieking, “I won’t let them take you away!”

Alanna gasped as she stopped mere centimeters from the cops, the shotgun pointing at her torso.


	9. Freedom to Choose

Greg froze, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up and a sense of something _wrong_ racing through him. He stepped away from Penny’s parents, keeping his voice calm and steady. “What’s going on, guys?”

Spike’s response was on the edge of terrified, “Penny’s holding her gun on Alanna. She thinks Alanna’s going into a trap.”

The Sergeant swore his blood turned to ice in that moment; he wasn’t terrified, he was _petrified_ for his niece. How he managed to speak with any sense, much less calm was due entirely to the sense of _wrongness_ changing into the defiant cry of a phoenix, right on the edge of hearing. “Jules, I don’t have eyes in.” He swallowed hard. “This is your call, but if Penny is threatening…” he trailed off, unable to continue.

“She’s not going to hurt her,” Jules told him, confidence in every word.

“Jules, Alanna’s the priority,” Greg pointed out. “Sam?”

* * * * *

“I have it,” Sam said grimly.

“She’s not going to hurt her,” Jules murmured, then she let out a faint gasp.

Alanna had raised both hands, keeping them spread where Penny could see them. Softly, so soft that Penny couldn’t hear, she incanted, “ _Gescildan_ **(1)**.” Faint violet light spread out between the redhead and Penny, forming a barrier between the two. The barrier shimmered in the air, almost invisible but the constables could see it.

“Alanna, stay here,” Penny pleaded.

Jules kept her gaze away from the barrier, not wanting Penny to realize Alanna was protected, and intervened. “Penny, we’re not going to take Alanna anywhere, unless she chooses to go.”

Penny tossed Jules a glare. “There is no choice. That’s what the book says.”

Jules didn’t hesitate. “Okay, I didn’t read that book, Penny. But this is what I know about choice. Okay?” She looked at Alanna and the redhead gave her an encouraging look. “Gerald made a choice today. He chose to leave you. And Alanna-- Alanna’s making a choice. She wants to see her brother.” Alanna lit up at that statement and she grinned at Jules shyly. Jules smiled back and kept going, “And you made an amazing choice. The most amazing choice. Because you just met this little girl, and you’re protecting her, and not everybody would do that.” Penny was still tense, shotgun in hand. Jules looked Penny in the eye and pleaded, “Penny, please, let her choose.”

Alanna met Penny’s eyes herself. The barrier between the two girls shimmered a little brighter as Alanna whispered, “Please…let me go.”

Sam kept his weapon aimed, but all three constables knew the shotgun couldn’t get through the barrier, even if they hadn’t recognized the actual spell. Penny lowered the shotgun, anguish in her face and Alanna edged backwards toward Spike.

Spike lunged forward, swept his _nipote_ up, and yanked her clear. Alanna’s magic skated around him as he moved and leapt behind the group to a window. Spike caught a glimpse of the window and its shutters breaking as the magical pulse struck it. As he bolted down the steps, Penny’s wail echoed down the stairs, “Alanna?! Don’t go outside! You’ll cross the underground wire!” Spike looked down at Alanna, blinking at her smug look. As they reached the first floor, he swung her down and set the girl on her feet.

“Okay, what’s the grin for, munchkin?” he demanded playfully, forcing his heart rate to slow down after seeing Alanna threatened with a _shotgun_.

Alanna swatted his arm at the ‘munchkin’ comment and, with an even wider grin, gestured to the collar on her ankle. “I blew it out.”

Spike let out a low whistle as he knelt and slipped the collar off. Sure enough, its electrical components were charred and blackened, the collar almost falling apart in the tech’s grip. “When’d you do that?”

The redhead fidgeted. “My magic did it when it healed my hands,” she admitted.

Spike immediately captured her hands and inspected her palms. Nothing, not even a hint of the burns that the shotgun’s heat had almost certainly caused. “Look, I get why you did that, but that was really dangerous, ‘Lanna.” As Spike led the young girl to the door, he added, “Don’t do that again, ‘Lanna. We’re supposed to protect _you_ , not the other way ‘round.” Without waiting for a reply, Spike swung the front door open and guided his _nipote_ down the front steps. “You’re gonna be okay,” he told her, keeping a light grip on her hands. He could see Sarge’s face from the corner of his eye and it was a minor miracle that his boss didn’t collapse right then and there from sheer relief.

As soon as Alanna was down the steps, she ran right past the Child Services rep to her uncle, yelling, “Uncle Greg!” Penny’s parents gaped at her as Sarge grabbed her up off the ground and actually swung her around, putting his back to the house and only lowering his _nipote_ to the ground once he was satisfied she was okay. The girl stayed in her uncle’s arms, hugging him back as he struggled not to cry. Spike followed Alanna and put one hand on his boss’s shoulder, squeezing once. The Boss turned his head to Spike, tears glistening in his eyes, and nodded thanks.

* * * * *

Ed and Wordy entered the warehouse Duglin had ducked into, weapons at the ready. Dust coated the floor and tables stood empty, disused and abandoned. What little equipment was left stood silent and rusting and graffiti littered the walls. Sunlight peeked through the doorways and the holes in the roof. In what looked like the center of the warehouse, a structure with two levels sat. The walls were either gone or half destroyed, leaving only the steel support beams. There was a metal staircase in relatively good condition that led from the warehouse floor to the upper level of the standalone structure.

As they proceeded toward the structure, Wordy gestured to a trail of blood on the ground with a sharp, “Ed.”

Before Ed could respond there was a shot; both constables ducked behind the rusting equipment for cover. With a hard edge to his voice as the two constables advanced toward the structure behind their impromptu cover, Wordy remarked, “That’s a revolver, right? Six in the chamber, that’s number three.”

The subject fired at them again as they reached a section of piping. “Four,” Ed announced.

Another shot pinged off the piping. “Five,” Ed drawled. He kept his corner-shot pointing in the subject’s direction, muttering, “Where’s six? Where’s six? Where’s six?”

* * * * *

Alanna carefully twisted around in her uncle’s arms until her back was to his chest and she was facing two people who just _had_ to be Penny’s parents. They were staring between her and her uncle and the house she’d just left. Shy, but determined, Alanna met their eyes and asked, “Are you Penny’s parents?”

Penny’s parents blinked at her a moment, surprised at the question. “Yes, we are,” Penny’s mother replied. “You must be Alanna Calvin.”

“You know my name?”

Uncle Greg’s chuckle sounded rusty. “ ‘Lanna, sweetheart, your kidnapping’s been all over the news. That’s how we found you; the gas station clerk recognized you and called 911.”

Alanna tilted her head back to look up at her uncle as she deliberately nestled closer to him. “I knew you’d find me,” she chirped. If his hug was almost painfully tight in response, well, she wasn’t complaining. Looking back at Penny’s parents, she picked up her train of thought. “I like her, you know.” At the slightly blank looks, she elaborated. “Penny. She’s scared and terrified and she’s been told cops are bad for however long she’s been here, but she let me go and she listened when I told her about Team One.” Alanna stopped, considering her next words. “She’s going to be alright,” she continued, meeting their eyes. “It’ll be really, really hard at first, I bet, but inside, she’s still your daughter. And I think it helped, when that Mu…man lied and said my parents had given me to him.” Uncle Greg hissed at that. “I was able to tell him he was lying and he couldn’t make up a new story. Penny saw that.”

Penny’s mother looked confused. “If you don’t mind…”

“What was the lie?” Alanna finished.

Penny’s father stepped in. “We know he was lying, but how did you prove him wrong?”

Uncle Greg answered for her. “Alanna’s parents died over a year ago.”

* * * * *

“You got it?” Ed asked Wordy, keeping his eyes on their finally cornered prey. It was tempting to squeeze off a few rounds, but the Team Leader was determined that Duglin was going to see Alanna safe and sound as he was carted off to jail.

“I got it.” Wordy’s voice was still angry, but Ed knew his best friend would control himself.

Advancing, Ed called, “Gerald, it’s over.” From where Ed was standing, he could see the blood dripping down Duglin’s arm. “Just put the gun down and come down those steps. Hands in the air. Hands where we can see ‘em.”

Behind Ed, Wordy shifted positions to get a better angle. Duglin’s eyes narrowed as he yelled, “Stop!” Ed halted, willing to play along a touch longer. “Okay? Just stop.” Duglin’s gaze darted sideways, keeping both officers in view.

Ed forced his voice to stay calm, steady. “All right, it’s up to you. Just put the gun down and come down or we will come in there. You have five seconds.” As he spoke, Wordy shifted position again, moving to get clear of the pipes and equipment.

Duglin stared at his opponents. “You don’t understand. No one does.”

_Darn right I don’t,_ Ed thought, _and I wouldn’t want to._ Aloud, he said, “Explain it to me, Gerald.”

“This isn’t want I wanted,” the subject protested.

_I bet it’s not._ “Yeah?” Ed demanded, “What did you want?”

“To be happy. Just like anybody else.”

Wordy’s growl was audible and Ed didn’t bother to hide his rage as he snapped, “You’re not like everybody else, Gerald. Put the gun down.”

Gerald Duglin stared at them, caught off guard by the rage neither man hid. “Who is she to you?” he demanded.

“Oh wouldn’t _you_ like to know,” Wordy snarled. “Put the gun down!”

“I can’t,” Gerald said, almost mournful. “Without her, no life.” With that he raised the revolver to his own head and pulled the trigger.

Ed Lane stared as the man fell, his eyes betraying nothing. With a forced nonchalance, he remarked, “There’s six.” Behind him, Wordy’s furious growl said it all.

 

[1] Old English for ‘shield’


	10. Heaven or Hell

Alanna felt her uncle tense up at the same moment as her magic gave a hiss of outrage. The young witch turned around and latched onto her uncle again to hide her eyes from Penny’s parents. She closed her eyes and let her magic loose to act; to protect both Team One and Penny. _We’re going home…_ all _of us,_ she told her magic.

* * * * *

“Sarge, she’s got her gun on Jules,” Sam reported, a trace of alarm in his voice.

Sarge’s response was instant, he sounded much better with Alanna safe, “Jules, you got to control this thing.”

Before Jules could reply, Sam hissed, “I have the solution.” _No, Sam, don’t._

“Copy that, Sam. Your call. It’s your call.”

_No, Sarge._ “No.” Jules’ voice was firm, no trembling. “Please. Sarge, you got to let me do this. She’s going to be okay.” A tingle ran across her skin and she glanced down. Faint, shining violet light curled around her, illuminating her torso; almost like a magical bulletproof vest. _Alanna._ Jules focused on Penny. “Okay, Penny, I want to help you go home. I want to help you remember the girl you used to be.” _Come on, Penny._

* * * * *

“Good thinking, Jules. I’ll get the mother on it. Feed her memories,” Greg praised. Alanna beamed from her place next to him as he released her to pull his radio free and hold it up near Penny’s parents. Whatever his _nipote_ was up to would have to wait. “Sarah, I need you to tell us about your child. Any time that she felt joy or safe or loved or thrilled or anything.”

Mrs. Westler only had to think a moment to begin. “I remember the snowstorm in the country. We were walking, uh, trying to get to the house.”

* * * * *

“There was a snowstorm. You and your parents.”

* * * * *

“And then we lost her. Remember we couldn’t find her?” Mrs. Westler asked Mr. Westler. “And my heart was pounding.”

* * * * *

“Only for a minute, they-they couldn’t see you because of all the snow.”

* * * * *

Mr. Westler nodded and jumped in, “Yeah, and then we did. We scooped up Pips, and we took her home.”

* * * * *

“And you got to stay up late. Do you remember that? And they gave you three desserts.”

* * * * *

“Oh, mosquito netting. She used to have it over her bed like a canopy,” Mrs. Westler remembered.

* * * * *

“A canopy that was like a tent. And there were all these stuffed animals underneath.”

* * * * *

“The telescope she got when she was nine-- it’s still there; it’s still in her room.”

* * * * *

“Man, I wanted a telescope so bad when I was a kid.” Jules paused. “Saturn. I don’t even know where that is, but I guess you do.” She smiled at Penny, praying. “ ‘Cause that’s what your parents are saying. They’re right outside, Penny.” The shotgun was trembling, Penny’s lower lip was trembling, and tears leaked from the corner of the girl’s eyes. “They’re right outside. They’re waiting for you. Come on, Pips. Come on. Come on, Pips.” _Please, let this work._

“Pip…Pip-squeak? That’s what that means, right?”

“Yes. That’s what that means.” Jules replied.

“She-she said you were nice,” Penny whispered. “She kept begging me not to hurt you and…and she burned her hands trying to stop me.” Silent sobs began to wrack Penny’s slender frame. Jules bit her lip, wanting to reach out to the broken girl. “Who was that man she ran to?”

“He’s her uncle,” Jules explained. “And my boss.”

Under the sobs Penny looked confused. “But-but she called that other cop…”

“Yes,” Jules confirmed. “I guess you could say we all adopted her. Or maybe she adopted us.” Jules hesitated, then pushed quietly. “I know you’re really scared, Penny. I totally understand; we were scared Alanna wouldn’t come home.” Penny’s nod was almost unconscious. “But outside-- that great big world-- it’s even prettier than the one in your room. It’s your choice. It’s your choice. It’s up to you.”

The shotgun dropped away, Penny lowering it away from Jules’ torso as she wept for what she’d lost. “Yes?” she got out around her tears.

“Yeah,” Jules whispered. “You’re safe. They’re outside. They’re right outside.”

* * * * *

Activity on the outside of the house stilled as the front door opened. The black haired girl stared around as she slowly stepped out of the house. As the sun shone down on her, her hair lit up, revealing itself to be dark brown instead of black. Hesitant, wary, the girl made her way across the porch and down the steps, each foot placed with care. Penny’s head was on a swivel as she looked around the outside world, taking in cars and trees and people.

In front of a police car, a couple stood, longing in their eyes. The mother started forward and Sergeant Parker, who had Alanna on his left side, stretched out his right hand with a quiet, “On her time. Her time.” Penny’s movement was painfully slow, as if the girl was testing every step in her strange new world. “Let her come to you,” Parker murmured. Penny’s path took her straight toward the couple, though her eyes drifted to the ground. A step or two from her parents, Penny halted and slowly lifted her head. A single tear fell down her mother’s face as parents and daughter came face to face for the first time in eight years.

* * * * *

“Julianna Callaghan, you made me proud,” Greg Parker managed as he and Jules walked toward the parked SRU truck around the corner. Alanna held her uncle’s notebook and bounced along behind the pair, spirits undimmed by her experience. Her uncle cast an thoughtful look in her direction; it had not missed his notice that her magic had acted on its own several times that day.

“Yeah, and I wasn’t even perfect,” Jules remarked ruefully as she turned and ruffled Alanna’s hair. Both adults ignored Alanna’s mock wail of dismay.

“No, you weren’t,” Greg agreed. “You were human. That’s what our girl needed, that’s what both girls needed to get out safe.”

“Screwing up and being human. My biggest fear.”

“Copy that,” Greg said softly. “Look what happened. Planets aligned. It was a good day.” He swept Alanna up again, enjoying the girl’s shriek of glee as he boosted her into the truck’s passenger seat.

“You want to pick up Lance and go out?” Jules offered. “I’m buying.”

Greg smiled at his constable. “Nah. Actually, we’re going to go do something. See you Monday?” Jules arched a brow and Alanna looked rather curious at Greg’s statement.

“Right.”

* * * * *

Kira strode into the briefing room as Sergeant Parker finished up the paperwork for the call. Two teens sat in the nearby seat, still clinging to each other. “Your e-tickets and credit card,” Kira announced, offering the credit card back to its owner. “Better hurry; it’s the last flight.” Casual, she read the top e-ticket as she passed all three over to Lance. “Dallas. Long way to go for two days.”

Sarge gathered his kids up and gave Kira a rueful look. “Not as long as it took me to do this.” With that the unlikely trio took their leave, the teens trailing their uncle like ducklings.

* * * * *

A brunette entered the room her parents had said was hers and looked around. The white telescope drew her in and she crossed to it; her father hovering behind her. Her hand fell on a knob and she touched it lightly. “This one’s for focus, right?” she asked her dad.

“Yeah,” he managed, still looking rather choked up. “Yeah, that’s for focus.”

Penny’s hand danced on the knob as she bent over and looked through the telescope. A smile stretched across her face as she looked up again. “Dad. The stars-- they’re still there.”

 

_~ Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End...at least for this story. Hope ya'll enjoyed and I also hope to see you all this Friday as we kick off General Response.


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